Alice
Skirtz will discuss and sign her new book Econocide: Elimination of the Urban Poor
today at Findlay Market’s Skirtz & Johnson. The book looks at how
Cincinnati “has used legislation and the administration of public policy to
serve the ends of privatizing public assets and displacing people who are
perceived as undesirable because they lack economic power and privilege.” Skirtz
is also a social worker and founder of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the
Homeless — proceeds from tonight’s book sales will go to the organization. The
signing runs 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Women
Helping Women is a 24-hour crisis service helping victims of domestic violence,
sexual assault and stalking. The non-shelter program offers intervention and
support services for women — and men — in Southwestern Ohio. Tonight,
Sharonville transforms into Oz for Light Up the Night: Emerald City Ball, a benefit for Women Helping Women. Don your best ruby slippers as you enjoy
dinner-by-the-bite, Wizard of Oz-themed cocktails, auctions and music — all for
a wonderful cause. Tickets should have been reserved in advance. Go here to get involved with the
organization by adopting a family, donating or volunteering.

Ensemble
Theater Cincinnati takes audiences on a “trip down musical memory lane” with
its production of Life Could be a Dream, onstage tonight. Fans of ETC’s Wonderettes productions will feel at
home with this sock hop-era musical that follows the Crooning Crabcakes as they
try to make the big time and win a local radio contest. Sing along to classic
hits like “Runaround Sue,” “Earth Angel,” “Unchained Melody” and more tunes
from the time. Tickets to tonight’s 7:30 show are $36.

Check out our music blog for tonight's live show lineup and our To Do page for more events, art shows and performances.

Annual spring cuteness sesh begins this week

May is an awesome month for so many reasons. It's Bike Month, the sun's out, the mangoes are getting better and sundresses are officially acceptable attire.

Most importantly, perhaps, the whole month of May is "Zoo Babies" month at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. And as much fun as it is to unproductively scroll through photos of cute fuzzy things at your computer before you start your day at work, there's something so, so much better about seeing them in person.

The Zoo Babies exhibit runs until May 31. Looking for the babies? Follow the six-foot-tall pink and blue stork statues around the zoo. A sample of some of the most coo-worthy babies to see this month:

It's a bit harder to get excited about anything unfuzzy, including the "baby" Australian walking sticks, Malayan Leaf katydids, Emperor scorpions, Giant Spiny Leaf Insects, East African Whip scorpions or the Hissing Cockroaches. But it's worth a try. Click here for a complete list of the babies part of this year's 26th annual Zoo Babies exhibit. Please? Bogart is begging you.

Writing about Willie Nelson makes the 'Angry American' seem like less of a dick

Today is the 79th
birthday of Country music legend/High Times coverdude Willie
Nelson. Most people are already familiar with Willie’s coolness —
pioneer of late-’60s Outlaw Country, member of Country music all-star group The Highwaymen with Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson and singer of such classic songs as “On the Road
Again,” "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" and "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys." He’s also been
an activist for causes such as family farming and marijuana
legalization and currently lives in self-sustaining community in
Hawaii that only uses solar power.

Here are some words by
CityBeat Music Editor Mike Breen about Willie’s life and legendary status,
which he says transcends music. (“Nelson isn't a Country music icon
— he's an American music icon.”)

But for every terrorist
that Keith convinced via threat of violence not to attack America,
there are many people who have enjoyed a song that Keith co-wrote
about participating in Willie Nelson’s favorite pastime: smoking
the weedus.

It turns out that Toby
Keith can be self-depreciating and kind of likable (if you can
somehow keep the image of this goatee out of your mind while you
listen to the song). So here it is, in honor
of Willie’s 79th, “I’ll Never Smoke Weed With Willie Again”
by Toby Keith and Scott Emerick.

Jac's favorite recent pop culture and Internet findings

The
White House Correspondents’ Dinner was Saturday, and while CityBeat’s invitation
must have gotten lost in the mail, the event brought journalists, celebrities
and famewhores from across the country to Washington, D.C. What began in the
1920s as an opportunity to recognize journalists is now more of a “Washington
goes Hollywood” event, usually hosted by comedians and attended by celebs who
have little (if anything) to do with politics or reporting. Although the event
gets criticism for becoming a schmooze-fest,
I’m a fan of what has become a Washington roast, where politicians stop taking
themselves too seriously, at least for one night.

President
Obama kicked off the night with a dig at his recent “hot mic” incident, and
continued by poking fun at other politicians, odd celebrity guests and other
current events.

The
evening was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, who took the stage like a true equal
opportunity offender:

Speaking
of diminishing journalistic integrity, how ‘bout the rise and (immediate) fall
Gawker’s Fox News mole? Earlier this month, Gawker announced
a new column by a Fox News employee, who was prepared to share the deepest,
darkest secrets from everyone’s favorite conservative channel — or something.
Two days later, the “mole” (revealed as O’Reilly
Factor associate producer Joe Muto) was found out by the network and
subsequently fired.So that’s the end of that, right? Not quite. Muto
was served with a search warrant early Wednesday morning. New York’s District
Attorney’s office seized Muto’s laptop, cell phone and some notebooks as part
of an open investigation. Fox News is accusing Muto of conspiracy and grand
larceny, according to this warrant.
The best/worst part of the whole debacle is that Muto only managed four Gawker
posts, which included juicy Fox dirt like a photo of a bathroom Bill O’Reilly
uses and a clip of Mitt Romney talking about his horses to Sean Hannity. Yawn. UPDATE: Muto apparently grew up in Cincinnati. Represent!

From
Pizza Hut’s new pies with cheeseburgers instead of crusts to the Heart Attack Grill
living up to its name, junk food on ‘roids is all the rage right now! Las
Vegas’ Heart Attack Grill is known for its over-the-top diner grub, including a
“Quadruple Bypass Burger,” so should anyone be surprised that eating there
could potentially be harmful to one’s health? For the second time this year, a guest collapsed at the restaurant, which boasts the Guinness World Record for
highest calorie hamburger (9,983 — about five times the calories recommended
for one day).
People go to Vegas for the thrill of a gamble — the Heart Attack Grill just
offers a unique spin!

Meanwhile,
in the Middle East, Pizza Hut is finally solving that boring pizza crust
problem (what are we supposed to do — just eat plain dough?!) by swapping it
for cheeseburgers and chicken sliders. This
came just weeks after we were introduced to The Hut’s hot dog-stuffed crust,
which is now available in the U.K. The most shocking part about these pizza monstrosities?
They aren’t served in the States (yet)! Are we becoming a healthier nation or
is our fatness just rubbing off on other countries?

In
movie news, a 2007 viral comedy short is now becoming a
star-studded smorgasbord. Jay
and Seth vs. The Apocalypse starred Jay Baruchel and Seth Rogan as friends
confined to an apartment during the end of the world. Filmed in just four days
immediately following production on Knocked
Up, the short is only available as a trailer on YouTube:

After
the success of Knocked Up, Pineapple Express and other Rogen
comedies, the crew is remaking the short into a feature film, currently titled The
End of The World. In
the film, James Franco (playing himself) hosts a party at his apartment when
the world begins…to end. Party-goers will include Jonah Hill, Danny McBride and
Aziz Ansari, in addition to Rogen and Baruchel. It’s an Apatowpocalypse!

While these dudes are taking something scary (the apocalypse) and turning it into
something funny, this bitch is turning something from my youth (dolls) into
the stuff of nightmares. Meet Valeria Lukyanov, “human” Barbie!

Cincinnati’s annual celebration of the two-wheeled lifestyle returns in May

It’s that time of the
year again — time to celebrate bicycles and the pleasant lifestyles
to which they contribute. It’s easy to understand the benefits of
riding a bike: exercise, better enjoyment and understanding of our
surroundings, less traffic and smog, etc. (When you’re riding a
bike you also get to worry less about the consistent military
struggles over resources in the Middle East and other places: “What
the [expletive] did I do?!?”)

May is officially Bike
Month, but celebratory events kick off this weekend with a Bike Art
Poster Party at Coffee Emporium 6:30-8 p.m. Friday and the Bike Month
Kick-Off Expo 2-4 p.m. Saturday at the downtown public library. The
Expo will include crafts, bike-related books and unique bikes on
exhibit such as a tall bike, bamboo bike and vintage, delivery and
cargo bikes.

CityBeat will
preview in its cover story next week the many other Bike Month events
scheduled during May, in addition to some fun cycling tips and a
rundown of local cycling infrastructure and resources. (There might
also be a check-in with a local guy who doesn’t have a car to see
how things are going with him…)

The following are some
of the many events taking place in May, via Queen City Bike:

Howl
at the Moon Ride: Explore city streets at night, top off with a
party

Walk
Along Wasson Way-:Walking tour along the proposed Wasson Way Biking
Trail

Pompeii
and Pizza: Tour the exhibit at the Museum center then ride to a
pizza lunch

Thanks to the Contemporary Arts Center's current music video exhibition, Spectacle, a number of talented musicians, artists and directors have flocked to Cincinnati during the past two months to perform and discuss the power of music videos in our culture. Tonight, director Vincent Morisset stops by to screen Inni, his powerful black-and-white film about Icelandic Pop Rock group Sigur Rós. Morisset will then discuss his work with Sigur Rós and Arcade Fire and take questions. The event begins at 6:30 — come early to check out the Spectacle exhibit if you haven't yet. The screening and talk are free for members, $7.50 museum admission for non-members.

It's Final Friday and last year's popular monthly OTR Skate is back! Don your best hot pants and tube socks and roll over to the OTR Recreation Center for a night of old-school fun with a hip twist. Bust a move on the rink to the music of Automagik and You, You're Awesome. Admission is just $5 (skate rental included) and goes to the Rec Center to provide youth programs and scholarships for area kids. Enjoy free Vitamin Water and classic game room attractions like air hockey and foosball. Been a decade or two since you last laced up those skates? Cincinnati Rollergirls will be on hand for some pro tips. The fun begins at 8 p.m.

Northside's Building Value presents its third annual ReUse-apalooza tonight from 7-11 p.m. Learn about how the nonprofit reuses materials and what you can do to promote sustainable building practices. Music will be provided by Messerly and Ewing and there will be a silent auction featuring Building Value projects. Tickets are $20, $50 VIP. After the benefit, head over to Northside Tavern for a free after-party.

If you've checked out our cover story this week, you know about the steampunk movement that's taken flight locally. What started as a literary genre that mixes Victorian history with futuristic fantasy elements a la Jules Verne is know an underground culture with its own music, art, costuming and performance aspects. This weekend marks the first Steampunk Symposium at Tri-County's Atrium Hotel. While weekend passes are sold-out, Saturday one-day tickets will be available at the door for $20. Whether you're a diehard steampunk or just curious about the movement, this quirky event has something for everyone. Saturday's schedule includes various steampunk bands and authors, a midnight masquerade, workshops, fashion shows, a mustache parade, verbal dueling (a battle of wits) and dozens of other activities. Various events run from 10 a.m. until around 2 a.m. Read more about the culture and find a Saturday lineup here.

May is Bike Month and the Main Library downtown kicks off the cycling celebration Saturday with a bike expo. Check out various bicycle exhibits, meet organizers from groups like MoBo Bicycle Coop, Queen City Bike and League of American Bicyclists and meet Bobbi Montgomery, author of Across America by Bicycle. Get all the information you need to become a regular cyclist about town. The expo runs from 2-4 p.m. Go here for more details.

The Cincinnati Opera will perform the highly anticipated Southern-inspired George Gershwin hit Porgy and Bess in June, but you don't have to wait until summer to get in on the excitement. Saturday's Opera Gala, "A Hot Night in Charleston" will transport Duke Energy Convention Center's Grand Ballroom into the Pametto State with soul food, cocktails, music and dancing. After you've had your fill of Southern-style eats, stick around for the after-party, "Late Night in Charleston." Being a benefit for the Opera, tickets for the Gala are pretty steep ($250, $175 for first-timers); If you're on a budget, consider coming for the after-party, which runs from 10 p.m.-1 a.m. — tickets are $30 in advance, $40 at the door. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres will begin being serves at 6:30 p.m.

Add a little cuteness to your weekend with the Ohio Alleycat Resource & Spay/Neuter Clinic open house Sunday. The facility has been yarn bombed by the Cincinnati BombShells to welcome new cats ready for adoption. If you're looking for a new cuddle buddy, consider adopting one of OAR's rescue kitties at the event. The free open house runs 1-4 p.m. Go here for more details, directions and more info on donations and volunteer opportunities.

Happy National Pretzel Day! In honor of this momentous occasion, Servatii offers free pretzel sticks to every guest today. We suggest going all-out with one of their tasty, giant pretzel sandwiches, too. Find a location to stop by here.

Another TED event takes place locally today, this time on Xavier's campus. TEDxXavierUniversity brings leaders in innovation from across the city and country to speak on the theme "Touching the hearts and minds of others through innovation, service, and leadership." Speakers include emcee Michelle Beckham-Corbin (President and Chief Digital Marketing Strategist of C3: Creating Connections Consulting, LLC), Todd Henry (founder and CEO of Accidental Creative), Rashmi Assudani PhD. (Associate Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship at XU's Williams College of Business) and other CEOs, directors of non-profits and cutting edge entrepreneurs. The free event runs 1-5 p.m. today at the Cintas Center Schiff Banquet Hall. Guests should have already reserved their spot in advance.

The Contemporary Arts Center continues to bring unique musical performances to the museum. Tonight, local quartet Makr performs Georg Friedrich Haas' "In iij. Noct." at 8 p.m. The music collective features current and former students of The University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music Eddy Kwon, Brodie Johnson, Joshua Ulrich and Suzanna Barnes. Doors open at 7:30 tonight and tickets are $14.

Comedian John Heffron makes a tour stop at Funny Bone on the Levee starting tonight. Heffron was the winner of Last Comic Standing's second season and has performed on tons of late night shows and Comedy Central specials and at comedy festivals. A relatively "clean" comic, Heffron avoids politics and controversy in his acts, focusing on the naturally funny aspects of everyday life. Tonight's performance begins at 8 p.m. Find details here.

Check out our music blog for tonight's live show lineup and our To Do page for more events, art shows and performances.

Earth
Day may have official ended Sunday night, but the celebrations continue today with the EcoSculpt Awards Ceremony. Swing by Fountain Square between 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. to check
out 13 sculptures on display, all composed of recycled/recyclable materials.
First, second and third place winners along with a People’s Choice Award will
be announced at noon. All winners receive cash prizes. Green-minded vendors
will be on-site hawking eco-friendly products and services and the Cliftones will
perform live.

The Ohio Arts Council's Arts
Learning hosts a panel discussion on “Advancing the Role of Individual
Artists in our Community” from 6-8 p.m. at Kennedy Heights Arts Center. Artists
Migima Orimo, Kate Kern
and Tony Dallas will be on hand to discuss their work with OAC’s Arts
Learning residency program. KHAC executive director Ellen Muse-Lindeman will
moderate an open forum between the artists and guests. The event is free, but
registration is required in advance. Call 513-631-4278 or go here
to reserve your spot.

Apollo
@ The Greenwich is a weekly showcase of local talent organized by Head Rush
Entertainment. Performers young and old, new and experienced are invited to
show off their musical talents, from Hip Hop to spoken word, R&B to Jazz.
The event runs from 7:30-10 p.m. Enjoy additional music by Eclectic Vibe and
complimentary appetizers. Admission is free before 8 p.m., after that it’s $5
at the door. Bring two friends along for free cover all night.

The
Reds take on the San Francisco Giants at Great American Ballpark at 7:10 p.m.
Find tickets here. In college sports, UC welcomes Xavier in the second in a two-game home-and-home
series.

Find more art exhibits, theater shows and events on our To Do page and follow our music blog for nightly concerts.

'Hustler' publisher to make a book tour stop in Monroe

Hustler publisher, First Amendment defender and creepy uncle to us all, Larry Flynt is in town today. The porn mogul will be onsite at the Hustler Hollywood sexplex's Monroe location.

Flynt is currently touring in support of his book, One Nation Under Sex: How the Private Lives of Presidents, First Ladies and their Lovers Changed the Course of American History. He will sign copies of the book starting at 7 p.m. The first 25 guests will receive a free gift bag.

The 2011 book was co-written by Flynt and Columbia University history professor David Eisenbach, Ph.D. It details the salacious yet interesting bedroom happenings of Ben Franklin, Woodrow WIlson and Eleanor Roosevelt, to name a few, and how these relationships affected the country. Other Flynt titles include 2004's Sex, Lies and Politics and his 1996 autobiography, An Unseemly Man: My Life as a Pornographer, Pundit and Social Outcast.

Flynt added a Hustler location Downtown last year on Seventh Street, not to be confused with his brother Jimmy Flynt's store on Elm Street — the two have been involved in a long-standing financial feud.

Check out this video from Commonwealth Club of California with Flynt and Eisenbach as they discuss stories and implications from One Nation.

The next 48 hours or so present a trifecta of holidays: Saturday is Record Store Day, Sunday is Earth Day, and, thanks to a group of teens in 1971, today (4-20) is unofficially Weed Day. Surely we can find a way to celebrate all three this weekend.

Visionaries and Voices, the Northside gallery that works with artists with disabilities, hosts its annual art auction gala Saturday. Double Vision features live and silent auctions featuring artwork from 20 local artists and other prizes, music by Magnolia Mountain and DJ Mowgli, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. The event runs 7-11 p.m. at Memorial Hall; tickets are $50.

While April 22 is officially Earth Day, celebrations take place all weekend long. Cincinnati's 42nd Annual Earth Day Celebration takes over Sawyer Point Saturday from noon-5 p.m. The free event features exhibits, entertainment, kids activities and various recycling opportunities. Go here for a full list of local Earth Day events and be sure to pick up this week's Green Issue, featuring lots of environmental opportunities and the Central Ohio River Valley Local Foods Guide.

Cincinnati is lucky to have numerous quality, independent music retailers around town. From Everybody's Records to Shake It, we all have some great music memories thanks to these stores. Record Store Day, the third Saturday of April, is devoted to celebrating indie music shops and the music they help promote. Each year on this day, these stores present live music, limited releases and sales. Go here to check out local Record Store Day happenings.

We also suggest watching Bully, now in theaters, and Veep, premiering on HBO Sunday.

Check out Stage Door for this weekend's theater offerings, our music blog for a live show lineup and our To Do page for more events, art shows, performances and more this weekend.